The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Predicting Student Success Eric

The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Predicting Student Success Eric J McIntosh, PhD Strategic Partnerships Advisor, Civitas Learning CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CIVITAS LEARNING , INC. – CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK DEFINING STUDENT SUCCESS Graduation (i.e., persistence) – (Braxton, 2000; Tinto, 1975, 1993) Learning gains – (Tagg & Barr, 1995) Sense of belonging – (Hurtado & Carter, 1997) Engagement – (Kuh, 2001) Satisfaction – (Schreiner, 2004) CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK EMPHASIS ON BEHAVIOR Quality of effort – (Pace, 1980) Involvement – (Astin, 1984) Institutional efforts (opportunities and services) to encourage students to become engaged – (Kuh, 2001) CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK WHY THRIVING? Expand the definition of student success to incorporate psychological well-being and optimal functioning Explore student optimal functioning in academic, emotional, and social areas, or thriving CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK WHY THRIVING? Behavior Psychosocial Motivation Engagement Attitudes CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Learning Graduation Student Success

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK DEFINING THRIVING “Adults with complete mental health are flourishing in life with high levels of well-being. To be flourishing, then, is to be filled with positive emotion and to be functioning well psychologically and socially.” Keyes, 2002, p. 210 Flourishing Emotional Vitality Positive Functioning Keyes, 2002, 2003; Keyes & Haidt, 2003 CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Thriving builds on the psychological well-being implied in flourishing, but also encompasses elements critical to college students’ success: academic engagement, effort regulation, citizenship, openness to diversity, goal-setting, optimism, and self-regulated learning. Thriving students are fully engaged intellectually, socially, and emotionally. This is a view of student success that reinforces the bedrock of holistic development on which many colleges and universities were founded. CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Academic determination Positive perspective Social connectedness CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Engaged learning Diverse citizenship

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK THRIVING Academic Determination – Self-regulated learning, effort, time management, hope Engaged Learning – Meaningful processing and focused attention on learning process Positive Perspective – Optimism and subjective well-being Diverse Citizenship – Contribution to community, appreciation of diversity Social Connectedness – Positive relationships and connection to friends CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK THRIVING Psychological Sense of Community – – – – Membership Influence Integration & Fulfillment of Need Shared Emotional Connection (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK THRIVING Campus Involvement – Astin, Kuh, Pascarella & Terenzini Student-Faculty Interaction – Kuh & Hu, Cole, Lundberg & Schreiner, Pascarella & Terenzini Institutional Integrity – Braxton, Hirschy & McClendon Spirituality / Meaning-making – Astin, Astin & Lindholm CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

THRIVING AS A FRAMEWORK RECENT THRIVING STUDY First-year students at a private university in the west with 50/50 students of color to White student incoming student demographic Structural modeling (SEM) was utilized to explore the predictability of end of term thriving among students to explore the pathways significant for students of color and White students Model fit was established for both groups utilizing SEM CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Student/ Faculty Interaction Campus Engagement PSC Diverse Perspectives Thriving Institutional Integrity CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Spirituality / Meaningmaking

Thrivingincollege.org CIVITAS LEARNING, INC. -- CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION